Pelvetia canaliculata and barnacles on moderately exposed littoral fringe rock

Description (English)

Exposed to moderately exposed steep, lower littoral fringe rock and mixed substrata characterised by the wrack Pelvetia canaliculata and sparse barnacles Chthamalus montagui and Semibalanus balanoides. On sheltered shores the biotope is restricted to vertical faces. The limpet Patella vulgata and the wrack Fucus spiralis are usually present as well. P. canaliculata typically overgrows a crust of the black lichen Verrucaria maura or on occasion Verrucaria mucosa, in contrast to the red crust Hildenbrandia rubra on very sheltered shores. The winkle Littorina saxatilis is frequently present underneath the fronds of P. canaliculata. Some geographical variation are present and southern and western shores are typically characterised by the barnacle C. montagui or Chthamalus stellatus while S. balanoides dominates on northern and eastern shores. On mixed substrata the barnacle Elminius modestus may be present.
Situation: This unit is generally found below the V. maura and barnacle zone (B3.1131; B3.1132). On exposed shores it is found above the biotope dominated by F. spiralis (unit A1.312) or the mussel Mytilus edulis and barnacles biotope (unit A1.111) or the barnacles and P. vulgata biotopes (unit A1.113). In addition, patches of lichen Lichina pygmaea with the barnacle Chthamalus montagui (unit A1.1122) may also occur at the same level or above this biotope, particularly on southern shores. On sheltered to extremely sheltered shores this biotope is limited to very steep or vertical faces.

Source: EUNIS habitat classification